diff --git a/anki/sound.py b/anki/sound.py
index 7ccf26274..836398fe6 100644
--- a/anki/sound.py
+++ b/anki/sound.py
@@ -8,30 +8,10 @@ Sound support
 """
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext'
 
-import re, sys
+import re, sys, threading, time, subprocess, os
 
-try:
-    import pygame
-    pygame.mixer.pre_init(44100,-16,2, 1024 * 3)
-    pygame.mixer.init()
-    soundsAvailable = True
-except:
-    soundsAvailable = False
-    print "Warning, pygame not available. No sounds will play."
-
-def playPyGame(path):
-    "Play a sound. Expects a unicode pathname."
-    if not soundsAvailable:
-        return
-    path = path.encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
-    try:
-        if pygame.mixer.music.get_busy():
-            pygame.mixer.music.queue(path)
-        else:
-            pygame.mixer.music.load(path)
-            pygame.mixer.music.play()
-    except pygame.error:
-        return
+# Shared utils
+##########################################################################
 
 def playFromText(text):
     for match in re.findall("\[sound:(.*?)\]", text):
@@ -43,6 +23,71 @@ def stripSounds(text):
 def hasSound(text):
     return re.search("\[sound:.*?\]", text) is not None
 
+# External audio
+##########################################################################
+
+queue = []
+manager = None
+
+if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+    externalPlayer = ["c:\\program files\\windows media player\\wmplayer.exe"]
+else:
+    externalPlayer = ["mplayer", "-really-quiet"]
+
+# don't show box on windows
+if sys.platform == "win32":
+    si = subprocess.STARTUPINFO()
+    si.dwFlags |= subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
+else:
+    si = None
+
+class QueueMonitor(threading.Thread):
+
+    def run(self):
+        while 1:
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+            if queue:
+                path = queue.pop(0)
+                p = subprocess.Popen(externalPlayer + [path],
+                                     startupinfo=si)
+                p.wait()
+            else:
+                return
+
+def playExternal(path):
+    global manager
+    path = os.path.abspath(path).encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
+    queue.append(path)
+    if not manager or not manager.isAlive():
+        manager = QueueMonitor()
+        manager.start()
+
+# Pygame
+##########################################################################
+
+# try:
+#     import pygame
+#     pygame.mixer.pre_init(44100,-16,2, 1024 * 3)
+#     pygame.mixer.init()
+#     soundsAvailable = True
+# except:
+#     soundsAvailable = False
+#     print "Warning, pygame not available. No sounds will play."
+
+# def playPyGame(path):
+#     "Play a sound. Expects a unicode pathname."
+#     if not soundsAvailable:
+#         return
+#     path = path.encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
+#     try:
+#         if pygame.mixer.music.get_busy():
+#             pygame.mixer.music.queue(path)
+#         else:
+#             pygame.mixer.music.load(path)
+#             pygame.mixer.music.play()
+#     except pygame.error:
+#         return
+
 # Mac audio support
 ##########################################################################
 
@@ -89,7 +134,10 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     pass
 
+# Default audio player
+##########################################################################
+
 if sys.platform.startswith("darwin"):
     play = playOSX
 else:
-    play = playPyGame
+    play = playExternal